Chapter 1 - Owls and O.W.L.S
Harry Potter, a boy of almost sixteen, lay in his bed wide-awake, trying to force himself to sleep. Since the events of that past June, he could hardly sleep, or think about anything else, other than that fateful evening, for that matter. All Harry could hear in his head was Sirius's voice, crying for help. Of course, that's not how it happened, but Harry couldn't help thinking that if he hadn't tried to be the hero, just that one time, Sirius would still be alive today.
Suddenly, Harry's owl, Hedwig, flew through his open window, showing Harry that attached to her leg was a letter and a package. Harry grabbed the letter, and thanked Hedwig, stroking her head. On the envelope was the home address of one of Harry's best friends, Hermione Granger. In Harry's miserable state, even a letter from Hermione couldn't cheer him up. However, Harry felt that contact with the wizarding world would help his mood, so he opened up Hermione's letter.
IDear Harry,
I hope you're feeling better. From your last letter, you seemed
rather depressed./Ibr "Depressed?" said Harry aloud. "Depressed? Of course I'm depressed! Who wouldn't be upset after their closest thing to a parent dies right in front of their eyes, because of them!?" He continued reading.
II sent you this birthday card in hopes of bringing some joy
into your summer. Attached to this letter are birthday presents. I
sent you some birthday cake, since I know that the Dursleys have you
on Dudley's strict diet, some chocolate frogs, and the collector's
edition of Quidditch Through the Ages. I hope you enjoy the gifts,
and have a very happy birthday! Send me an owl back when you get the
chance, I'd like to know how you're doing. I'll see you in September!
Love,
Hermione/I
Harry reread Hermione's letter when he realized that the following day was his birthday! In the midst of wallowing in mourning and self-pity, Harry had completely forgotten about his own birthday! He let a smile slip on his face, but immediately went back to sulking when he again realized that he would never see Sirius again.
Just as Harry was about to close his eyes and actually fall asleep, he heard two birds pecking at each other at his windowsill. He looked over his shoulder, and saw Errol, the Weasley family owl, and Pigwidgeon, Ron's pet owl, fighting with each other, each trying to grab a package from the other. Harry ran over to his window to make sure the birds flew in safely. He tried to take the disheveled package, which was currently in Pigwidgeon's beak, but was unsuccessful. Harry whispered, as to not wake the Dursleys, "Hey Pig, give me that!" Pigwidgeon complied, and Harry opened the card that adorned the present.
IDear Harry,
How's it going? I hope you're feeling better, not that I've
been feeling too happy either these past few weeks. Mum and I
realized that it was your birthday, so we sent you a birthday cake and
this nifty Muggle pocket watch that dad picked up for you at something
he called a mosquito market./Ibr Harry chuckled and thought to himself, "Mosquito market! Ron amuses me sometimes. I believe he meant flea market."
IAnyway, I hope you have a very happy birthday. Mum, Dad and Ginny
all wish you the best as well.
Your friend,
Ron/I
PS: Mum said that if you wanted, you could stay here the week before
classes start, so she can go to Diagon Alley to pick up our supplies
and such. Let me know if the Dursleys give you any trouble - we'll
just send Mad Eye and Tonks, and they'll let you go.
Harry was glad for the invitation, and immediately took out a quill and parchment, accepting the offer, assuming the Dursleys would let him go. As soon as Harry put down his quill, and was about to go into his bed, four more owls burst into his window, from Luna Lovegood, Hagrid, the Weasley twins, and Remus Lupin. Harry opened each of his presents, receiving a subscription to "The Quibbler" from Luna ("Just what I always wanted!" thought Harry, extremely sarcastically), another birthday cake from Hagrid, as well as his famous rock cakes, some Nosebleed Nougats and other confections from the Weasley twins, who had since opened shop and were doing quite successfully, and a framed picture of Remus, Sirius and James during their Hogwarts days from Lupin. In the picture, James was sticking his tongue out, while Remus was repeatedly hitting Sirius in the head with what appeared to be "The Daily Prophet". Upon opening this present, Harry turned it face down so he wouldn't be reminded that Sirius had passed away. He admitted that Remus's gift had been a nice gesture, however, he wasn't quite expecting to see Sirius's face quite yet.
Exhausted from opening presents, Harry finally drifted off to sleep, when he had the same dream that had been plaguing him for the past several weeks. He kept seeing Sirius collapse after being attacked, and slowly sink into the veil. In his dream, Harry wondered what exactly the veil entailed.
Before he could think any longer, Harry felt something land on his stomach. He awoke to a barn owl sitting on him, a letter attached to its leg. Harry immediately recognized these owls to be the official owls used by Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. Harry wondered why Hogwarts would be sending him an owl, but then he realized that his O.W.L grades were going to be mailed out any day. He bit his lip as he opened the envelope.
Inside the envelope was, as Harry expected, a listing of his grade on each owl he took. It read as follows: Astronomy - P Care of Magical Creatures - O Charms - E Defense against the Dark Arts - O Divination - A History of Magic - D Potions - O Transfiguration - E
"I only failed two! And I got an O on Potions?" Harry, a little disappointed in his Astronomy and History of Magic grades, was still ecstatic about doing well on all of his other O.W.L.S. Harry could not contain his excitement when he realized what his O.W.L. marks meant. "I can start Auror training! I got O's on the O.W.L.S. that I needed!"
Harry, in a euphoric state from his O.W.L. results, slowly drifted to sleep, clutching his letter from Hogwarts.
Harry Potter, a boy of almost sixteen, lay in his bed wide-awake, trying to force himself to sleep. Since the events of that past June, he could hardly sleep, or think about anything else, other than that fateful evening, for that matter. All Harry could hear in his head was Sirius's voice, crying for help. Of course, that's not how it happened, but Harry couldn't help thinking that if he hadn't tried to be the hero, just that one time, Sirius would still be alive today.
Suddenly, Harry's owl, Hedwig, flew through his open window, showing Harry that attached to her leg was a letter and a package. Harry grabbed the letter, and thanked Hedwig, stroking her head. On the envelope was the home address of one of Harry's best friends, Hermione Granger. In Harry's miserable state, even a letter from Hermione couldn't cheer him up. However, Harry felt that contact with the wizarding world would help his mood, so he opened up Hermione's letter.
IDear Harry,
I hope you're feeling better. From your last letter, you seemed
rather depressed./Ibr "Depressed?" said Harry aloud. "Depressed? Of course I'm depressed! Who wouldn't be upset after their closest thing to a parent dies right in front of their eyes, because of them!?" He continued reading.
II sent you this birthday card in hopes of bringing some joy
into your summer. Attached to this letter are birthday presents. I
sent you some birthday cake, since I know that the Dursleys have you
on Dudley's strict diet, some chocolate frogs, and the collector's
edition of Quidditch Through the Ages. I hope you enjoy the gifts,
and have a very happy birthday! Send me an owl back when you get the
chance, I'd like to know how you're doing. I'll see you in September!
Love,
Hermione/I
Harry reread Hermione's letter when he realized that the following day was his birthday! In the midst of wallowing in mourning and self-pity, Harry had completely forgotten about his own birthday! He let a smile slip on his face, but immediately went back to sulking when he again realized that he would never see Sirius again.
Just as Harry was about to close his eyes and actually fall asleep, he heard two birds pecking at each other at his windowsill. He looked over his shoulder, and saw Errol, the Weasley family owl, and Pigwidgeon, Ron's pet owl, fighting with each other, each trying to grab a package from the other. Harry ran over to his window to make sure the birds flew in safely. He tried to take the disheveled package, which was currently in Pigwidgeon's beak, but was unsuccessful. Harry whispered, as to not wake the Dursleys, "Hey Pig, give me that!" Pigwidgeon complied, and Harry opened the card that adorned the present.
IDear Harry,
How's it going? I hope you're feeling better, not that I've
been feeling too happy either these past few weeks. Mum and I
realized that it was your birthday, so we sent you a birthday cake and
this nifty Muggle pocket watch that dad picked up for you at something
he called a mosquito market./Ibr Harry chuckled and thought to himself, "Mosquito market! Ron amuses me sometimes. I believe he meant flea market."
IAnyway, I hope you have a very happy birthday. Mum, Dad and Ginny
all wish you the best as well.
Your friend,
Ron/I
PS: Mum said that if you wanted, you could stay here the week before
classes start, so she can go to Diagon Alley to pick up our supplies
and such. Let me know if the Dursleys give you any trouble - we'll
just send Mad Eye and Tonks, and they'll let you go.
Harry was glad for the invitation, and immediately took out a quill and parchment, accepting the offer, assuming the Dursleys would let him go. As soon as Harry put down his quill, and was about to go into his bed, four more owls burst into his window, from Luna Lovegood, Hagrid, the Weasley twins, and Remus Lupin. Harry opened each of his presents, receiving a subscription to "The Quibbler" from Luna ("Just what I always wanted!" thought Harry, extremely sarcastically), another birthday cake from Hagrid, as well as his famous rock cakes, some Nosebleed Nougats and other confections from the Weasley twins, who had since opened shop and were doing quite successfully, and a framed picture of Remus, Sirius and James during their Hogwarts days from Lupin. In the picture, James was sticking his tongue out, while Remus was repeatedly hitting Sirius in the head with what appeared to be "The Daily Prophet". Upon opening this present, Harry turned it face down so he wouldn't be reminded that Sirius had passed away. He admitted that Remus's gift had been a nice gesture, however, he wasn't quite expecting to see Sirius's face quite yet.
Exhausted from opening presents, Harry finally drifted off to sleep, when he had the same dream that had been plaguing him for the past several weeks. He kept seeing Sirius collapse after being attacked, and slowly sink into the veil. In his dream, Harry wondered what exactly the veil entailed.
Before he could think any longer, Harry felt something land on his stomach. He awoke to a barn owl sitting on him, a letter attached to its leg. Harry immediately recognized these owls to be the official owls used by Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. Harry wondered why Hogwarts would be sending him an owl, but then he realized that his O.W.L grades were going to be mailed out any day. He bit his lip as he opened the envelope.
Inside the envelope was, as Harry expected, a listing of his grade on each owl he took. It read as follows: Astronomy - P Care of Magical Creatures - O Charms - E Defense against the Dark Arts - O Divination - A History of Magic - D Potions - O Transfiguration - E
"I only failed two! And I got an O on Potions?" Harry, a little disappointed in his Astronomy and History of Magic grades, was still ecstatic about doing well on all of his other O.W.L.S. Harry could not contain his excitement when he realized what his O.W.L. marks meant. "I can start Auror training! I got O's on the O.W.L.S. that I needed!"
Harry, in a euphoric state from his O.W.L. results, slowly drifted to sleep, clutching his letter from Hogwarts.